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Kat Chadwick & Andrew Budge

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25th May, 2011

Lucy Feagins

Wednesday 25th May 2011

The Fitzroy home of Kat Chadwick and Andrew Budge! Loungeroom details as follows - Top image, paintings on wall from left - Zombie and Untitled by Craig Easton, Resting on Untitled are 2 small paintings by New Zealand artist Matt Hunt, on the righthand wall Watcher, Babette by Chris Bond. Bottom left photo - Brain plate by Trixie Delicious, Always a couple on the go at once by Jade Walsh. Bottom right - Kat's favourite 1970's rug!

Loungeroom - artwork details as outlined above. The two leather Falcon chairs were passed on to Kat by her parents. The handwoven floor rug was also from her family home, her Mum bought it at an exhibition in the '70's. The handmade stool cost $20 at an op shop. The side table was found by a house sitting friend in the local hard rubbish.

HELLO and welcome to another gorgeous Melbourne home! This is the Fitzroy pad of AMAZING Melbourne illustrator Kat Chadwick and her partner, designer/typographer Andrew Budge (aka 'Budgie'). Kat and Andrew really confirm my theory that talented creative people just always have excellent homes, regardless of size, floorplan or budget. Truly! They're always full of colour and creative ingenuity and kooky handmadeness.

Kat and Andrew have lived in their cosy '2 up, 2 down' Fitzroy house for nearly two and a half years. Before they bought the place, a bachelor professor lived here for many years, and as Kat tactfully puts it - 'it would be fair to say domesticity may not have been his forté'. The 150 year-old house was structurally sound but very rundown. With the help of a very kind and hardworking friend, Kat and Andrew set to work patching and plastering, then painted every inch of the place in the month before moving in. Instead of replacing the worn and scungy 80's colonial-style kitchen, Kat and Andrew updated the cupboard doors, sanded and revarnished the timber bench tops, and had the floorboards polished. There had been a fire in the cooking alcove and the oven didn't work so Andrew bought a pristine Ilve stove on ebay for $150 (+ $350 to freight it from Sydney)!! 'It works beautifully and has cooked many tasty meals for us and our friends' says Kat. SEE what I mean about creative ingenuity!

When asked what she loves most about her home, Kat says it's the location, the high ceilings and having a garden. 'Its just a little home - but perfect for a couple and a cat!!' she says. For sentimental reasons, Kat's most prized possessions are her Falcon chairs and 70's floor rug in the front room. Andrew is most disappointed that his most favourite item, 'Ratty' the mummified rat, did not make the cut for this tour! This creepy creature has pride of place in a bell jar on the living room mantlepiece. Sorry Andrew. I tried. It was just too weird-looking. I can only echo your neices' request - "Uncle Budgie, THROW THAT RAT OUT!!!!"

Huge thanks to Kat and Andrew for sharing their beautiful home! AND for leaving me to my own devices to take these pics! I cannot believe how many people leave me alone in their houses these days. I mean, I am practically a stranger. :) It does make it much easier though so thankyou K + A!

Kat's work is AMAZING you must see more of it here (hers is the fantabulous 'Chopper' illustration on the front of The Design Files 2011 Neighbourhood Calendar, and she also handpainted the most excellent giant MAP for the calendar launch last year!). Andrew is also a design genius and has a company called Designland... lots to see on his website do have a look!

Fantabulous kitchen / dining featuring posters by UK artist David Shrigley from the 'Poster Project' at Kings Gallery a few years ago. When the exhibition was over, Shrigley's 300 posters were sold off for gold coin donations... Andrew braved the bun fight and walked away with four!

Kitchen details. Top left - David Shrigley posters from the 'Poster Project' mentioned above. Bottom left - on the top shelf is a 1950's Suzie Cooper tea set which belonged to Kat's grandmother, Lois (Lois used to keep the set on a tea trolley covered with a fine white chiffon lace cloth, ready for when her girlfriends came over to play bridge). Below the tea set is a finger cup by NZ ceramicist Paul Maseyk.

Lots of cuteness on the 'fridge. Kat and Andrew's niece Coco (aged nearly 7) drew the pictures of her 'Uncle Budgie' in the shower. Very impressive anatomically correct front and rear view. She thought it was sooooo hilarious — and so did they!!

CUTE narrow stairwell leads upstairs from the kitchen. The steps were painted white by Kat and Andrew (looks so much better!).

Master bedroom - prettiest room in the house! The taxidermy budgie was a birthday present to Andrew from Kat. He mounted it on a branch found on the footpath outside the house. Also LOVE that beautiful antique bed!

Master bedroom reverse angle. Amazing floor to ceiling bookshelves! Also LOVE the fluoro pink Cat prints by Kat for the annual Risographica fundraising show at Jacky Winter / Lamington Drive. How I wish now that they were not sold out :(

Details from the second bedroom. Artwork details - Chopper illustration by Kat Chadwick, Untitled (pink rose) by Kate Daw, Turnabouts by Florence Broadhurst/Signature prints. The giant corn cob stool is from Third Drawer Down. Bottom right - this bag was treasured by Kat's mum's when she was a little girl. An aunt bought it back from exotic Madera on 'the other side of the world'.

Captain on a sheepskin by New Zealand artist Dick Frizzell. One of many original artworks hanging in the downstairs hallway (bit tight to photograph them all unfortunately!).

Really love seeing the lower budget and creative homes that feature lots of personality, just like this one. Makes you realise you don’t need heaps of cash and expensive designer furniture to make a beautiful home.

6 years ago

Marina

6 years ago

Another great house tour! They really make my morning.
Do you know where the saucer chair in the bedroom came from? I have been trying to hunt one down at second-hand stores but haven’t had any luck.

What a great HOME, thanks for sharing. I really like the mix of styles, influences and meaningful artifacts, the simplicity, and the fact that it looks and feels like a home – not a sterile showroom. The 1970s falcon chairs are fabulous! I think it demonstrates that style and design can be comfortable, personal and accessible to all.

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